This blog has nothing to do with gorillas (though I love 'em)...fellow bloggers have inspired me to share vintage images of Disneyland from my personal collection. But don't be surprised if you see something from a World's Fair, Knott's Berry Farm, or someplace else that is cool!

Thursday, October 24, 2013

I hope that intense drama is not too much for you, because today's photos are very dramatic!

Whoo-EEE, lookit them clouds. I wish I could add some really intense, dramatic music to this picture. Something by Hans Zimmer, with the deep horns going, "BWAAAAAAAA!", like in "Inception". Those clouds could mean two things: rain is coming, OR alien spaceships are coming (like in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"). BWAAAAAAAA!

The sun has now set, and the Matterhorn is looming loomily, silhouetted against the sky. The sun has set, and the vampire who lives just above the basketball court inside the mountain is about to emerge from his slumber. And he is hungry! There are lots of nice juicy people to choose from.

13 comments:

I love intense drama. And wasn't that part of the original MPAA "M" (then GP; then PG) rating: May be too intense for younger viewers-?? I think that was the explanation accompanying the original "M" rating. (In this case, however - "M" for Matterhorn).

Yeah, when you think about it, the Skyway is a pretty efficient Soylent Green delivery system. Kind of like those dim sum restaurants where the dishes come around on conveyor belts. Count von Disneystein shall be pleased with this evening's offerings.

“Lisa? Lisa, where are you? You come out right this minute, young lady!”

Where could that dratted child have gotten to? Linda knew it had been a mistake to let her come and stay with her and Jim in California. But, she had begged and pleased, and Mother had insisted, and Jim always seemed to take Mother’s side. And now, here she was, in the bowels of the Matterhorn, searching for that spoiled brat of a kid sister and some boy she had wandered off with.

She was sure she wasn’t supposed to be in this part of the building. Any minute now, the Disneyland police were going to drag her off to the Mickey Mouse Hoosegow, and Lisa and Michael #15 were probably back on Main Street, sharing an ice cream soda and having a good laugh at her expense. Darn it, why was it so dark in here? Even that weird basketball court had a work light on. Oh, fiddlesticks, what with Jim being such a gossip, this would be all over the hospital by Monday and she’d never be able to show her face at the Junior Ladies’ Auxiliary again. That was it; that little missy was packing up her Snoopy suitcase and heading straight back to Cheektowaga first thing in the morning.

“Good evening, Linda. Welcome to the top of the Matterhorn.”

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the whispering, oddly accented voice behind her. A suggen gust of clod air and the scent of bay leaves hit her as she turned around. The figure on the staircase had made no sound entering – come to think of it, she didn’t remember there being a staircase there before. The whole room looked like something out of the Haunted Mansion, without the Doombuggies and the smooching teenagers and people throwing popcorn at the séance table.

“No, no, my pet. She and Michael are back on Main Street, sharing an ice cream soda and laughing at your expense. But come with me, my little babushka, and I will show you many wonders. Are you cold?”

“No, not anymore. I’m just grumpy.” She tightened her arms around herself. ”In fact, my blood is boiling.”

“Indeed?” The Count raised an elegant eyebrow with a smooth motion that would have made Robot Lincoln seethe with jealousy, were he capable of such a base emotion. “Perhaps we would both benefit from a... hot drink. Come upstairs with me, meine kleine Mauslein.”

Linda frowned even further. “Upstairs?” I thought you said this was the top of the Matterhorn?”

Later that night, Skyway riders swore they heard the echo of mocking laughter over the sound of the Bobsled trains.

Nanook, I remember when it was "GP"… wasn't "M" supposed to be the replacement for the porn-friendly "X"?

TokyoMagic!, watch out for the cow floating through the air. Thanks for the location, I had no idea.

Pegleg Pete, they are pretty atmospheric, though I honestly was just trying to make something out of some ordinary-ish picture!!

Melissa, now that they have a low salt version of Soylent Green, I can eat as much as I want with a real peace of mind. It is made from healthful algae from the sea, isn't it?

Alonzo, nobody screams like Chuck Heston did.

Tom, I can also imagine the mournful sound of a loon echoing throughout the park…!

stu29573, repeat 20 times and you have yourself a movie score.

Melissa, who knew that Lisa would become such a superstar. She does have those good looks that Hollywood likes so much. I love your story and it makes me wish that Disney would do more spooky stories. Imagine a well-done TV show with a haunted Disneyland after dark!

Oh, no. Originally the ratings were: 'G', 'M', 'R', 'X', for the first year: 1968-1969. From 1970-1972 it was 'G', 'GP', 'R', 'X'. Then from 1972-1984 the confusing title of 'GP' (All Ages Admitted - Parental Guidance Suggested) was switched to the more logical 'PG' (Parental Guidance Suggested – Some Material May Not be Suitable for Pre-Teenagers [1972–1978] / Children [1978–1984]). Are you yawning yet-?? Afterwards, all bets were off with PG-13 & NC-17 replacing the 'X' rating.

I think we should return to the more puritanical 'Hayes Code'; or better yet, 'Legion of Decency' or 'the British Board of Film Censors'.

Seems to be about time to unearth my 35mm copy of an original MPAA ratings trailer and thread it up just for giggles. Oh, what times they once were.

Those original four ratings seem so much simpler for the consumer, and every change along the way seems motivated by, "We can make more money off this movie if it's rated differently." And I seem surprised because I seem like the most naïve person in the history of the U.S.A.